Heerema: "I was not ready"

A look back at Pieter Heerema’s press conference:

After finishing yesterday evening at 2126hrs UTC in 17th position in the 8th Vendée Globe, Dutch skipper Pieter Heerema (No Way Back) entered the harbor in Les Sables d’Olonne this morning at 0800hrs UTC. There is now one final competitor left at sea: Sébastien Destremau, who is currently sailing at the latitude of Morocco. Time to look back at what Heerema told us during his press conference this morning.

The boat“There was a picture of a boat that was crossing the Alps from Italy. The project collapsed, because of financial difficulties. I had no idea what sort of boat it was. I had no clue about foils, masts with various angles, but I decided to go for it. This is the most modern, most aggressive and most physical boat of the type. I had to wear knee pads. You have to crawl through the boat. This was the wrong boat for me, but I had no choice. The foils were not a good choice for me. I had never sailed on an IMOCA a year before and never alone six months before, so the learning curve was straight up. The foils were an extra complication.”

116 days alone“116 days. 4 months. It’s a really long time. Alone. But that’s not the worst. Everyday something happens. There are some nice moments, but also a lot of difficult moments.”

Dutch courage“I noticed during the race that the Vendée Globe has become known in Holland. It is now in a much wider circle. It would be fantastic if in future editions other skippers from Holland took part.”

The first Dutchman to compete in the Vendée Globe“It’s not super important to be the first Dutchman. I have done it, which is the most important thing. I am also the first South American to take part as well as the first Dutchman, as I have a Venezuelan passport.”

Regrets“I was not ready. The Vendée Globe came one year too early. The adventurers had all done this sort of thing before. I had never sailed alone until six months before the start.”

Motivation“I don’t know what I was looking for. It’s a good feeling to have done it. The start and the finish is fantastic, but everything in between is difficult. In 116 days there were very few moments of pleasure. There are other ways to enjoy yourself.”

The other competitors“I think this was an extraordinary edition. Usually the front runs away but then gets caught. But this time they just kept going. At the back we were beating upwind. The differences between groups of racers just grew and grew. I take my hat off to Armel and Alex. This is a different level of racing from wha I am used to. You can only have the deepest respect for such guys. The same for Didac Costa and Alan Roura. It was amazing. You only understand that when you have done it.”

What next?“I’m going back to my old love, the Dragon. Then, there are some interesting possibilities in sailing – the TP52, the Jules Verne Trophy, the new Melges… I have the time to think about that now. I already have a shed full of boats, so I must sell this boat. If I don’t sell it it would be nice to do the Transat Jacques Vabre, but my first priority is to sell the boat.”

Dutch pride“Holland has a long history. The capes are Dutch. The Horn, Leeuwin and Good Hope are all Dutch capes! It was a home race for me.”

Discovering Facebook“At some times, you don’t see the light any more. Somewhere south of Australia I had had it. People sent me messages. Facebook in particular from people… I have no clue who they are. It’s been a huge support. I told myself I’m going to show them, I can do it, however long it takes.I had never been on Facebook before. It took me ages to learn. For some reason what I did attracted people and I had so much support. That really pushed me to go on. I thank all the people on Facebook for pushing me and all the funny messages.”

No Way Back“I had used the name No Way Back before. But it has a meaning too. I think that once you decide something, you have to do it. That’s a life principle for me and I hate other people who go wishy-washy.”

Conrad Colman: “I’m thankful that I had so many difficulties. Several times a problem with the pilot. Then, there was the fire. That normally would be a highlight in terms of problems, but as it is, that was almost nothing. So it was a progression of things, which allowed me not to be crushed when the mast came down, so now I’m stronger.”

“I feel like I have moved mountains to achieve what I did. I did the very best with what I had. You don’t win the race at sea. You lose it at sea. You win the race during the preparation, but my time to prepare was very short.”

“The wind gods are a fickle bunch. I got smacked several times. When I couldn’t escape from the big storm, I had sixty knots.”

“Mentally, it’s easier to sail with a jury rig, because when you have all the sails up, you are crazy. You go for it in the race. But with a small sail, you can relax. I spent time adjusting it, but there isn’t much you can do.”

“It’s harder sailing solo, especially mentally. There’s no one there to support you. I kept telling myself, there’s always a solution and I will find it. There’s a dialogue going on in your head all the time. I ended up talking to myself, so I’m not sure if it’s healthy. You have to find confidence. While remaining humble. You need to find the force within, rather than from outside.”

“Natural energy? It’s an extension of everything I have said. We can do it if we want to. I think it is impossible to sail three times around the world and see the natural environment without being affected. I think we need to change the way we live our lives. It has to come from politics, from industry and I’m a little afraid that there isn’t the political will, so I think what may drive this change is motivated individuals. That is why I wanted to grasp this opportunity. We can still do what we want and use the technology we want. I was handicapped by not being able to use all my solar panels. We have to diversify production and it’s the same thing on a boat.”

“Writing? It’s central for several reasons. I came into this sport as a fan. I was trying to figure what to do with my life. I really appreciated the stories, seeing Vincent Riou win in 2004. That was truly inspirational and led me to believe I could do the same. The lifestyle I lead is very interesting, technologically, the people I meet, the life I lead, and I feel that it’s almost an obligation to share that with those that don’t have the same chance as I do. I enjoy writing and enjoy the idea that I’m sharing that with others.”

“I’d like to give this race the respect it deserves. It’s not something you can throw together over a few months. That means more time preparing.”

The final miles of the Vendée Globe non stop around the world race have dealt a brutal blow to New Zealand solo skipper Conrad Colman when his Foresight Natural Energy was dismasted last night (Friday) around 2200hrs UTC.After 97 days and more than 26,500 miles racing round the world and with just over 700 nautical miles to the finish line off Les Sables d’Olonne, Colman’s mast crashed down in 35-40kts of wind and big, confused seas when he was positioned 270 miles north west by west of Lisbon, Portugal. Colman was dealing with a big, active Atlantic low pressure system, his one last big hurdle before his final passage across the Bay of Biscay to Les Sables d’Olonne where he was expected to finish in tenth place on Wednesday.

This morning Colman finally had a chance to go on deck and assess his situation more fully. After last night cutting the mast, rigging and the mainsail free before they damaged the hull of his IMOCA, Colman managed to save the boom – which had suffered some damage – and his headsails. He hopes to be able to set a jury rig using the boom as a mast and some, or part, of the sails he still has. But in the first instance he must repair the boom. Colman has two days before the weather situation is forecast to change for a more favourable outlook, the potential of downwind sailing conditions on the Portuguese coast may allow him to make northwards progress. But this Saturday afternoon he was still waiting for the winds and seas to subside enough and discussing with his technical team how best to repair the boom with the materials he has. In the meantime he is also trying to minimise his electrical usage as – seeking to become the first skipper to finish the race using only renewable energies - his primary means of generation is his electric motor which requires forward motion.

Colman is reported to be extremely disappointed but very motivated to find a solution to allow him to finish his Vendée Globe. “Thanks for all the messages of support coming in from everywhere. I hope to be up to this and to be able to start towards land without assistance,” Colman messaged this morning. According to the latest weather files Colman will still have 30 to 40kts winds until Sunday afternoon and it will be late Monday or early Tuesday before the north-westerly gales back to the west and, on the Portuguese coast, rotate to a more southerly direction. “If there is anyone who you’d put your money on to do this it would be Conrad,” British ocean racer Sam Goodchild, who raced with Colman in 2011-12 on his first round the world race, said this afternoon, echoing the belief of tens of thousands of race followers who have been entranced by Colman’s drive and bravery since he left Les Sables d’Olonne on November 6th. The 35 year old Kiwi had already survived a prolonged knockdown in the middle of the Pacific in a 60-70kt storm, some 2000 miles west of Cape Horn.

Mast Track Damage for Eric Bellion

Eric Bellion, the French skipper of CommeUnSeulHomme, has suffered damage to his mast track in the same big storm which saw him battling squalls over 70kts during Thursday night and Friday. Bellion, best placed Vendée Globe first timer lying in ninth position, had to drop his mainsail and will have to complete his final 450 miles with three reefs in his mainsail. In 35-40kts winds, 100 nautical miles north west of Cape Finistere, Bellion told his team that he was struggling to get his mainsail hoisted again and consequently was sailing upwind under headsail only this Saturday afternoon. He is not expected to finish in Les Sables d’Olonne before Tuesday night at the earliest, facing upwind conditions for the next 48 hours at least. “I heard a strange noise from the top of the mainsail. The wind was getting up again and I decided to put back in the third reef because it was gusting to 40kts. Then I realised the top of the sail was no longer attached to the mast. These last few miles are impossible. I am not going to let this beat me,” said Bellion.

Expected on Friday at the finish line 12th placed Fabrice Amedeo is 190 miles behind Les Sables d’Olonne’s Arnaud Boissières. “It will be very difficult to make miles back on Cali. There was a bit of suspense a while ago but he got a better angle than me by staying west. And so unless he has a technical problem there is no reason for me to think I can get back to him. We have had a great fight but this is his third Vendée Globe and my first. We have the same boats. I come back stronger and better and I am already very happy to be so close to him.”

In 16th place Romain Attanasio is still fighting to stay with Spanish skipper Didac Costa, despite losing a daggerboard two days ago. Attanasio told Race HQ in Les Sables d’Olonne today: “This is the third time I have hit something. The boat stopped and it was the daggerboard that took the blow. The deck and the housing are a little cracked. It is terrible to see the boat damaged like this. At this stage I am not so bothered about the loss in performance but I make a lot of leeway. The solution is to drop the keel a little more to 20 to 25 degrees. It is less powered up and we go slower. It has been a bit mad for three days with big seas but it is starting to calm down a little. As for Didac Costa, well I keep telling myself the main thing is just to finish in Les Sables d’Olonne but my instinct is to race him and to always be comparing speeds and courses. So it is frustrating right now to see him get away. I am stunned about the news of Conrad. You are always afraid something like that happens so close to the finish. I hope he can make it. My daggerboard problem pales by comparison.”

Dutch skipper Pieter Heerema crossed the Equator at 2158hrs UTC last night, back into the Northern Hemisphere, but the solo skipper of No Way Back has already had more than 24 hours of very light, drifting Doldrums conditions: “There is zero dot zero happening. There is no wind at all. There is lots of rain. There is not much to tell. I crossed the Equator at just before midnight and then just after that ran into this airbag. Everything stopped and I have hardly moved since. The whole thing about the Doldrums is the forecasting is all one big joke. As far as I can see then the Doldrums should only start about a degree from now, about another 60 miles to the north. And now, for the second day, I am in full Doldrums situation but the charts are still showing trade winds. So the forecasts are completely off. I am happy to be across the Equator. It is a step, another milestone. But I would rather be moving right now. If the end of the Doldrums is where they say it is then I will be here until Christmas.”

In Gosport, England, many boats and thousands of people turned out today to mark Alex Thomson’s second place in the Vendée Globe. On the water dozens of boats joined Thomson in a Parade of Sail this morning, commencing in the Solent and travelling through Portsmouth Harbour before berthing HUGO BOSS, at the Gosport Ferry Terminal. Thomson was welcomed ashore by the Mayor of Gosport for a civic reception, as well as answering questions from the crowd of excited fans. Alex Thomson commented, “I am always overwhelmed by the support I receive from my local community, but today has been particularly special. I’m truly honoured that these crowds came out to celebrate not only my achievement, but also the work of my team both before and during the race, today is as much a day for them as it is for me and it is something none of us will ever forget.”

Breton skipper Jérémie Beyou crossed the finish line of the eighth edition of the Vendée Globe solo non stop around the world race at 1940hrs UTC this Monday evening 23rd January, four days, three hours, two minutes and 54 seconds after the winner, Armel Le Cléac’h securing third place. Jérémie Beyou, the third skipper to reach Les Sables d’Olonne sailed 27,101 nm at an average speed of 14.43 knots. His best average was 21 knots having sailed 504 miles in 24 hours on 21st November.

The 40-year old sailor who was forced out of the 2008-9 race and the 2012-13 race during the first weeks of both with different technical problems, completed the non-stop solo round the world race for the first time today after 78 days 6 hrs 38 mins and 40 seconds. Up with the leaders from the start on Sunday 6th November, Jérémie Beyou, who struggled with numerous technical difficulties this time, has shown his considerable skill, determination and stamina. Indeed British skipper Alex Thomson, who finished second, earlier today confirmed he often felt threatened by the talented French sailor who is one of the few skippers to have won La Solitaire du Figaro, the French annual summer solo offshore stage series. Beyou was always there ready to pounce behind the two frontrunners. He showed good all-round speed with his older, 2010 boat which was retro-fitted with foils. The Breton skipper achieved his goal by making it to third place and so all three top places in this race are taken by foil assisted VPLP-Verdier designs.

With Le Cléac'h's Banque Populaire and second-placed Alex Thomson's Hugo Boss tied up to the dock in Les Sables d'Olonne sixteen skippers remain at sea today – and fourteen of them are now in the Atlantic. Romain Attanasio became the 16th skipper to round Cape Horn and wave goodbye to the Southern Ocean at 2043 UTC yesterday, exactly seven hours to the second behind 15th placed Didac Costa. “After so many of racing it's impressive to see land,” said Spaniard Costa, a firefighter-turned-solo sailor. “What's more, Cape Horn is a mythical place in the history of ocean racing.” Only Dutch skipper Pieter Heerema and Frenchman Sébastien Destremau still have the major milestone at the tip of South America to pass.

As the Vendée Globe entered its 77th day 65-year-old No Way Back skipper Heerema, the second-oldest in the fleet after 66-year-old Rich Wilson, admitted to struggling with the enormity of the race. “To be really honest, I'm really fed up,” Heerema told Vendée Globe HQ today. “I've had enough. The race has already been very long and it's going to take another month. It's gonna be 100-plus days and there's still a lot to come – a lot of cold, a lot of heat, and then there's the North Atlantic. I have enough food for 130 days so that's no problem, it's more in the head. I look at another month as a big mountain to climb and I'm lacking a little bit of motivation for that.” Heerema said his motivation to finish the race, regarded as one of the world's toughest sporting challenges, came from the messages of support he receives from friends, family and fans. “I must say the amount of people that are following me is quite unexpected,” he added. “No-one in Holland really knew what the Vendée Globe was before this one apart from a few hardened sailors. But all the enthusiasm and all the 'likes' on Facebook, and the messages and the emails that I get, are really important motivation to carry on, otherwise I'm not so sure I'd want to.”

French skipper Destremau was today some 1,000 miles adrift of Heerema in 18th, around 200nm south of Point Nemo, the most remote place on the planet with no inhabited land for 1,700nm in any direction. “I've been thinking about the isolation for a couple of days, and I never really realised just how distant we are from land,” he said. “It's amazing. It's really something special, something not a lot of people have done. It sums up the immensity of the Vendée Globe.”

At the front of the fleet Jérémie Beyou in third place was making slow progress through the final 300 miles to the finish line in light winds. Beyou is now expected to cross the finish line on Monday afternoon local time. Behind him a drag race for fourth place was beginning between Jean-Pierre Dick, Jean Le Cam and Yann Eliès, the three Vendée Globe veterans neck and neck as they point their bows towards Les Sables. The trio are divided north-west to south-east by 80 miles at the latitude of the Azores, with just under 1,500nm still remaining. StMichel-Virbac skipper Dick had to play doctor after he fell and cut his chin open, requiring him to patch up the wound with medical strips. “I scraped my face in the cockpit when carrying out manoeuvres. I have managed to close up the wound, but it’s not easy when you’re looking at your face. It took me several goes before I managed to do it. I have staples alongside the wound and I don’t know how to remove the unnecessary ones. So the result is quite special.”Another 1,500nm south Louis Burton was today still struggling to break free of the Doldrums, the French skipper of Bureau Vallée covering just 88 miles in the last 24 hours.

Grandioser Zieleinlauf nach 74 Tagen

Armel Le Cléac'h gewinnt Vendée Globe

Les Sables d'Olonne (SP) French sailor Armel Le Cléac'h today won the Vendée Globe 16/17 in one of the most thrilling finishes the solo round the world race has ever seen. After 74 days and almost 24,500 nautical miles of first-class ocean racing Le Cléac'h was finally crowned victor in the long-running battle with British skipper Alex Thomson for the top spot in the solo round the world race, regarded as one of the toughest sporting challenges known to man.

Le Cléac'h, 39, from Brittany, sealed the win – and a place in the Vendée Globe history books – crossing the finish line at 1537 UTC to complete the course in 74 days, three hours and 35 minutes. His time sets a new record for the race, beating the previous record of 78 days 2 hours 16 minutes set by French sailor François Gabart in the 2012-13 edition by three days, 22 hours and 41 minutes.

Dozens of spectator boats took to the water to welcome their new hero back to the French port of Les Sables d'Olonne, from where the race started on November 6 last year. With his shore crew taking control of his 60ft IMOCA race boat Banque Populaire VIII, a tearful Le Cléac'h was left to enjoy an emotional reunion with his son Edgar, 6, and daughter Louise, 9. Thousands more fans lined the walls of the town's famous harbour entrance as Le Cléac'h arrived dockside at Port Olona to a fanfare of fireworks.

Le Cléac'h, runner-up in the last two editions of the Vendée Globe, said he had now fulfilled a lifelong dream. “This is a dream come true,” he said. “I hoped to win this race 10 years ago but I finished second. Today is a perfect day. I understand that today I have done something big. My team have been amazing they're the dream team, and this is their day too.” Le Cléac'h also paid tribute to Thomson for his skill and tenacity in pushing him right to the finish line. “It has been very difficult with Alex behind me, he gave me a really hard time in this Vendée Globe,” he added. “Each time things went his way and I got nothing. It was stressful because he kept catching me. With a lead of 800 miles off Cape Horn, I didn’t think I’d be facing such pressure. I'm very happy for Alex, it is a great second place.”

Le Cléac'h took the lead within 24 hours of the race start but had lost it to Thomson by the time the skippers, both racing on new-generation foiling IMOCA 60s, reached the Equator. After catching Thomson in the Southern Ocean the pair traded places on numerous occasions before Le Cléac'h established a solid lead on December 3. From that point on he refused to relinquish his grip on first place despite a sensational effort from Thomson to reduce an 819nm deficit at Cape Horn to just 50 miles at the Equator. Even when Thomson surged to within 30 miles of Le Cléac'h with a few hundred miles to go the French sailor held strong, defending his position until victory was all but guaranteed.

Le Cléac'h averaged an incredible 15.43 knots of boat speed over the 27,455 miles he actually sailed, on occasion hitting speeds in excess of 30 knots. His best 24-hour run came on January 16 when Banque Populaire covered 524.11nm averaging 21.8 knots, surpassed only by Thomson who on the same day sailed 536.81nm averaging 22.4 knots, breaking François Gabart's existing record by two miles. Le Cléac'h held the top spot for 56 of his 74 days at sea, and between him and Thomson they broke every single one of the existing race records.

Thomson is expected to cross the line between 0600 UTC and 0900 UTC in one of the closest finishes the race has ever seen.

1300 Meilen bis zum Ziel

Am 71. Tag der Weltumsegler-Regatta Vendée Globe liefern sich Armel Le Cléac'h (Banque Populaire) und sein Verfolger Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) auf den letzten 1300 Seemeilen bis Les Sables d'Olonne ein erbittertes Rennen bei zunehmend winterlichen Wetterbedingungen. Thomson hat nach einer Havarie mit einem unbekannten Gegenstand nur noch einen Foil. UPDATE: Am Montag, 16. Januar 2017, hat Alex Thomson mit 536.8 nm in 24 Stunden den Weltrekord für Einhandsegler gebrochen.
Thomson has been playing catch-up since Le Cléac'h took the lead on December 2 but as the race enters its final few days he has transformed from the chaser into the hunter, ruthlessly stalking his French rival in the hope of being able to deliver the killer blow before the race is up. The British skipper delivered a timely warning to French skipper Le Cléac'h today when he smashed the world record for the greatest distance sailed solo in 24 hours. Hugo Boss skipper Thomson maintained a staggering average speed of 22.4 knots in the 24 hours leading up to the 0800 UTC position update to notch up 536.8nm. The distance breaks the 534.48nm record set by François Gabart in the 2012-13 Vendée Globe that he went on to win, beating Le Cléac'h by just three hours. In that respect the new record could be considered a good omen by Thomson, who is aiming to become the first Brit in the race's 27-year history to win it. He actually beat Gabart's record two weeks into the race, sailing 535.34nm in 24 hours, but the rules of the record state it must be superseded by one whole mile. Thomson previously held the record between 2003 and 2012 with a distance of 468.72nm. The new record will now be ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.
Am Donnerstag,19. Januar 2015, wird der erste Teilnehmer der Weltumsegler-Regatta wieder in Les Sables d'Olonne erwartet.
At mid-day 2017-15-01 only 95 miles were separating our two leaders who are about to find muscular and winter-like conditions for their ascent to Les Sables d’Olonnes. A long leg on starboard, ideal for Alex Thomson who will put his only foil to use, guaranteed suspense ‘til the very end.
Video mit Transskription der englischen Version auf unserem Youtube-Kanal.

British skipper Alex Thomson today said his last chance of winning the 2016-17 Vendée Globe lies with a ridge of high pressure close to the finish line. Thomson said his only hope of overtaking Le Cléac'h, barring mechanical failure, will be if he could get to within 50 miles of the Frenchman's boat Banque Populaire VIII by the time they reach the ridge. If he were able to do that he believes he will be within striking distance of the Le Cléac'h on the final sprint to the finish in Les Sables d'Olonne, France.

Thomson, who has been attempting to hunt down Le Cléac'h since he stole the Vendée Globe lead from him in early December, began the day 250 miles adrift but by the 1400 UTC update the gap had narrowed to 216nm. Around 300nm west of the Cape Verde Islands, Le Cléac'h, the runner-up in the last two editions of the Vendée Globe, had this afternoon slowed temporarily in slightly lighter winds, his eight knots of boat speed significantly less than Thomson's 13.

Although the pair still have around 2,000 miles to go before they reach Les Sables, Thomson admitted Le Cléac'h is now odds-on favourite to win. But he vowed to push his arch rival right the way to the end of the solo non-stop round the world race in his pursuit of the title. “There’s a ridge and I could catch up with Armel - it depends who gets across the ridge first,” Thomson said. “If there are no dramas, he should cross the ridge before me and then he’ll win the race. It’s getting more and more difficult to make a move, but I remain pragmatic and optimistic. Maybe something’s going to happen. I certainly see us closing up. According to the computer I’ll finish five hours behind him but we’ll have to wait and see - you never know.” Thomson said he expected two days of fairly light winds, then two days of fast sailing before hitting the ridge. “After this light patch I need to be within fifty miles of him,” he said. “In a few days I could make up the fifty miles. If I don’t get within fifty miles by the end of this light stuff, my chances of beating him are quite slim.”

Frenchman Jean-Pierre Dick today became the fourth Vendée Globe skipper in the northern hemisphere after passing the Equator for the second and final time. Dick, competing in his fourth Vendée Globe, passed the line of latitude that divides north from south at 1033 UTC, just shy of 67 days after starting the solo round the world race from Les Sables d'Olonne in France. He now joins Le Cléac'h, Thomson and third-placed Jérémie Beyou on the relative home strait to the finish line some 3,000 nautical miles away.

Following successful Cape Horn roundings for Eric Bellion and Conrad Colman, the next skippers to pass the milestone will be Arnaud Boissières on La Mie Câline and Newrest Matmut skipper Fabrice Amedeo. The pair, currently enjoying fast downwind conditions, are expected to reach Cape Horn on Sunday. “For sailors this is the Holy Grail and particularly for me,” Amedeo said. “My two goals at the start were to round the Horn and make it to the finish. I’m close now to my first goal, so I’m pleased.”

The current ETA in Les Sables for the Vendée Globe leaders is Thursday January 19.

Due to the storms sweeping across Western France, the local authorities have postponed the installation of the Vendée Globe race village in Les Sables d'Olonne. Consequently, the next Vendée Live in English will be on Saturday at 1200hrs UTC.

Sturmsegeln bei der Vendée Globe

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